Cattle-guard.



BEST AVAILABLE COP PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906.

A. DEVAN. CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATION .I'ILED M129. 1905.

BEST AVAILABLE cos UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

DEVAN, or MISSOULA, MONTANA,

CATTLE-GUARD.

To all jwhofiniit 1 'ing is a specification. 1

Be it known that 1 ANDREW DnvA-m'a citia of the United'Statesf, residing at'Missoula,-.

-.i nthe county ofMissoulaand Stateof Mon 5-: tana, have invented newand useful Improvemeats in Cattle-Guards, of'which the follow- This invention relates to surface cattleguards for railroads; and theobject thereof is to provide a cattle-guard which shall effecti'vely prevent the access of cattle from grade;

so arranged that the animal is free to pull his foot or leg out'of the guard without being pricked by the-teeth thereof; but if the animal goes to move forward-with the other foot he presses the hindered foot or leg'or fore part of his leg against the teeth of the guard, pricking without tearing the flesh, and conseq uently compelling the animal to back away and extricate himself.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically referred to, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail reference is bad to the accompanying daawings, which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a' top plan view of a cattleguard constructed in accordance with this invention and as applied to a-.railway-track.r Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a modified form of cattle-guard. f

In the practice of my invention I connect to a num ber of the cross-ties 1 of a railroad-track,

as, say, five, more or less, on one or both sides 'of a cross-road, station-grounds,or other place open to the inclosed right of way of a rail- 1 Specification of Letters Patent Application filed Ha es, 1905. Serial 1%. 362,84}.

meme Jan. 16, 1906.

road, asectional s'heet metal-cattle-guard, one

or two sections of which are secured to each of the ties between the rails 2 and two sections to each tie, .one on the outer side of each of the rails.

Cattle-guards as shown in Figs. 1- and 2 are each formed of'a single sheet of metal and so constructed 'as to provide a front and a rear member 3 4, respectively, and a:bottom.por- 'tion 5. 'The members 3 and 4 merge at the bottom into a portion 5. The members 3 4- extend at-an'inclination, and said member 3' is of greater length than said member 4, and each of the said members 3 4 has its upper edge serrated or provided with teeth, as at 6.. The arranging of the members 3 4: at an inclination forms'a pocket 7, into which the am malsfoot or leg is compelled-toenter if the animal should attempt to gain access to the right of way. The inclination of the mem-'. bers 3 4 is in what is termed a forward direction, or. in-ot-her words, toward the tie to which a cattle-guard is secured. The cattleguard consists of three or more sections, preferably three sections--an intermediate section and two outer sections. The interme-.

diate section is arranged between the trackrails', and the outer sections are arranged exterior of the track-rails. If desirable, the intermediate section may be divided into two members. two members which form the intermediate section may be suitably secured together or secured in such a manner that a small space will be arranged between them. It is thought-unnecessary to show this division of the intermediate section. 1 The end sections of the cattleguard preferably are of much less width than the intermediate section, yet they are of the same contour. The frontmember 3 of the cattle-guard is what is termed the stationary member, while the rear member 4 is what-is termed a spring member, as the front member 3 is secured to the tie, while the rear member 4 is free. Consequently if an animal walks thereon it will give and cause the foot or leg of the animal to fall into the pocket 7, the character of .the material of the cattle-guard being such that after the rear member 4 has been pressed downwardly and pressure is removed therefrom itwill resume- Asbefore stated, thecattle-guard has its front member 3 secured its normal position.

to the tie 1, any suitable hold-fast devices for this purpose being 'employed,.the reference character 8 denoting the 'holdfast devices This facilitates shipment, and the Beer AVAlLABLE ooP which extend through the member 3 and engage in the tie. To support the front memher 3, as well as to assist in retaining the same at its'proper inclination, the tie is cut away, as at 9, forming inclined bearing-surfaces, one between the rails and one exterior' *of the rails.

That portion of the tie which supports; the rails is not cut away. So, consequently, the necessary bearing for the rails is still had, although the tie is provided with bearing-surfaces for the front member 3 of the cattle-guard. That portion of the mem-- her 3 which projects from the top edge of the bearing-surfaces 9 is bent at a slightly-greater angle than the remaining portion of the mem-v member 10 is serrated orprovided with teeth,

- as at 12', and the said member 10 projects forwardly-at an inclination and is secured to the tie 1 in the same manner as the member 3 heretofore referred to, the tie being provided with the inclined bearing-surfaces 9, The member 11 is of less length than the member 10 and is secured to said member 10, near the lower end thereof, and extends forwardly at an inclination at an angle not as- 7. great as-the angle of the member 10, thereby forming a pocket 13, which receives the foot or leg of the animal. The upper edge of the ..member 11 is serrated or toothed, as at 14;

When thecattle-guard according to Fig. 1 isfset up, the bottom portion 5' rests upon the track-bed and abuts against one tie, and the member 4 projects away from the tie against which the bottom 5 abuts, while'the member 3 extends forwardly at an inclination and is secured to the adjacent tie in a manner as hereinbefore set forth. It will be evident from the foregoing constructions that if an animal should place his foot or leg in one of the pockets he would be free to pull it out without being pricked by the teeth; but if the animal goes to move forward with the other foothe presses the bindered foot or fore part of his leg against the teeth of the guard-that is to say, the rear member-which would prick the leg without tearing the flesh, and consequently compel thlef animal to back away and extricate him- 86 Although a's eries of cattle-guards is shown extendingv in one direction, yet certain of them can extend in an opposite direction, so that it would prevent the cattle or horses from coming out over the guard where they might happen to get on the right of way ,through broken fences. 'necessary to show the extending of the cattleguardsin different directions. The serrated It is thought un-- or toothed edges of the cattle-guards are intended to face'the animal as it apprcmichesethat is to say, the-toothed edge will be to-- members extending-in the same direction and forming apocket, said members being ar-- ranged between'a pair of rail-tics, and said members further having the upper edges thereof serrated."

2. A cattle-guard consisting of a frontnnd a rear member 'extendingat an inclination and suitably connected together, thcrvh forming a pocket, said members adapted to y be interposed between-a pair of rail-tics and each of said members having its upper edge serrated.

- 3. A cattle-guard comprising a front and H. rear member extending at aninclinathm, one of said members secured to a tie and the other -of said members being resilient} said members suitably connected togetherattheir lower ends to form a pocket. I

4. A cattle-guard comprising 'a front and rear member extending at an inclination, one of said members secured to a tie and the other of said .members being resilient, said members. suitably connected together 'at their lower ends to form a pocket, and each of said members having its upper edge'serratcd.

between a pair of ties and comprising a fixed and a resilient inclined member, said movable nember projecting away from one of the ties ind the other of said members fixed to the ther of said ties.

6. A cattle-guard adapted L0 be interposed beta en a pair of ties and comprising a fixed and I. resilient member suitably connected together at V, their lower ends and spaced apart to forma pocket, one of said members fixed to one ofsaid. ties, said members having a serrated edge.

7.. The combination with a railway-tie having an inclined bearing-surface, a cattleguard comprising a front and arear member extending atan inclination and having serrated edges, said members suitably spaced apart to form a pocket, and one of said mem-I bers resting upon said bearing-surface and fixed tosaid-ti e. g i

'8. The combination with a railway-tie having an inclined bearing-surface,-of a cattleguard comprising a front and arear' member extending at an inclination and having sere1o,e2s BEST AVAILABLE COP 8" rated edges, said members suitably spaced apart toform a pocket, and one of said memhers resting upon said bearing-surfaceand fixed to said tie, said fixed member having a portion thereof extending at a greater inclination than the remaining portion thereof.

9. A cattleguard consisting of a piece of sheet-metal material bentto form afront and rear inclined member terminating at their ['0 lower ends in a body portion adaptedto rest upon the track-bed, one of said members being of less length than the other of said members and both of-said members having their topedges serrated, said members being suitably spaced apart to form a pocket.-

10. A cattle-guard consisting of a piece of sheet-metal material bent to form front and rear inclined members terminating attheir lower ends in a body portion adapted to rest upon the track-bed, one of said members being of less length than the other of said members and both of said members having their top edges serrated, said members being'suib ably spaced apart to form a pocket, combined *witha railway-tie having an inclined bearing- IIGSSBS.

surface for said longer member, andmeans I for seou ring said elongated member to the said tie;

11 A cattle-guard comprising 'a plurality ing of less length than the'other of said members and both of said members having their top'edges serrated, said members being suitably spaced apart to form a pocket, combined with a railway-tie having an inclined bearing-surface for said longer member, and means for securing said elongated member to the said tie.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in'presence of two subscribing wit- ANDREW DEVAN Witnesses:

CHARLES CAHILL, ALFRED L. EAEYER. 

